Fritter-forming machine.



G, F LAURENCE- FRITTER FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 'AQG.26,'I918.

Patented Dec 24, 1918.

iNvEN-FG %.%T p\ Ev ATTEJRNEY- GEORGE F. LAURENCE, OF WATERLOO, NEW YORK.

FRITTER-FORMING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2a, 1918.

Application filed August 26, 1918. SeriaINo. 251,414.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. LAURENCE, a citizen of the United States, residin at Waterloo, in the county of Seneca and tate of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fritter-Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction and operation of machines for forming fritters or cakes from plastic substances such as a mixture of molasses and pop corn or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a fritter forming machine which is simple and compact in construction and efficient in operation. Another object is to provide a device which will automatically form and deliver the completed fritters as rapidly as the material is fed to the machine without appreciable jarring or noise. A further object is to provide a highly sanitary machine in which all the elements are readily accessible for cleaning, inspection and repairs, which is operable with minimum expenditure of power andin which danger of injury to the operator is minimized. Still another object is to provide a machine which is power driven and requires no skilled labor for its efficient manipulation. A further object is to provide various improvements in details of construction of this class of ma chinery, which will reduce to a minimum the cost of construction and installation and which will facilitate the operation thereof.

While the specific embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, is especially applicable to the formation of fritters or cakes from a mixture of molasses and pop corn, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention by such illustrative disclosure, as it will be apparent that the principles involved and the structure claimed may be applied to other machines for forming fritters or cakes from various other substances. The term fritter as employed throughout this specification is intended to apply to any body regardless of shape, molded to a predetermined form.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a fritter forming machine, the cross-section being takendirectly in front of the measuring and forming pockets and several of these pockets being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a top elevation of the fritter forming machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

The fritter forming machine comprises in general a main supporting frame 17, an endless series of measuring and forming pockets 4, a supply bin or tank 2, a horizontal mixing table 3, a pressing device 5, a discharging device 18, a fritter delivering device or conveyer 20, and a source of driving power or motor 13.

The main frame may be constructed of metal bars or strips and is preferably of sufficient height to permit convenient op eration of the machine when resting upon the floor. The individual measuring and forming pockets 4 are of prismatic formation and have tapered openings therethrough which serve as forms for molding the fritters. The successive pockets 4 are connected by means of pivoted links 19 to form an endless series comprising upper and lower horizontal stretches of end abutting pockets and curved connecting end portions. The

end Pockets 4 of the series engage flat faces of rotatable idler sprockets 24, 25 secured to horizontal cross-shafts 15, 16 respectively, which are rotatably supported in suitable bearings mounted upon the main frame 17. The upper stretch of pockets 4 ,is slidably supported upon a horizontal plate 29' which serves to close the smaller ends of the tapered pocket through openings. The pockets 4 of the lower stretch are inverted relative to those in the upper stretch, and are open at both ends.

The supply bin or tank 2 is supported upon the main frame 17 adjacent to the rear sprocket 25, and is provided with a material delivery opening controllable by means of a sliding gate or door 28. The mixing plate or table 3 has a horizontal upper surface which is substantially flush with the tops of the pockets 4 in the upper stretch of the series. The mixing table 3 is provided with an inclined plate 34 at one endthereof, which terminates at the opening of the tank 2.

The pressing device 5,comprises a circular revoluble series of equally spaced, plungers which fit and are adapted to enter the tapered through openings of the pockets, and which are spaced apart circumferentially distances equal to the distances between the openings of successive pockets 4 of the horizontal upper stretch. The press- 1n ta cross-shaft 10 which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings secured to the main frame 17; 'Rigidly secured to the crossshaft 10 is a worm wheel 6"which meshes with a worm 8 secured to the upper extremity of the vertical drive shaft 9. The drive shaft 9 is supported in bearings associated with the mainframe 17 and has a sheave or grooved pulley 7 secured to" the lower portion thereof. The pulley 7 is driv-inglyconnected by means of'a cable or belt 11,"w 1t ha sheave' or grooved pulley 12 secured tothe horizontal shaft of a driving element such as the electric motor 13. The motor 13 is preferablymounted upon the main frame 17 a fritter discharging device-18 which comprises a'circular revoluble series of plungers adapted to enter the smaller ends of the taperedthroughopenings of the successive pockets d. These plungers which are four in I number are spaced apart circumferen tially distances equal to the-distance between the openings of successivepockets 4c. The discharging device 18 is secured to a horizontal cross-shaft 31 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings secured to the main frame 17. The' di'sehargin device 18 isrjotatable bythednovement ofthe pockets d'which enga'ge the successive plungers of the device. Located directly below the discharging device-l8and secured to'the main frame 17 below-the lower horizontal stretch of pockets- 1, is a: stationary'ffitter guide 21 having a guiding surface which is directed toward the surfaceof the conveyer20. The conveyer 20comprisesanendlessbelt or band coactin'g with two or more gandepulleys not shown a'nd with a-driving pulley 27 secured to the horizontal cross-'shaft 26. The crosssha-ft26 :is mounted in suitable bearings secured to the mainframe 17 and has a sheave or grooved pulley 33 secured theretor'which 1S drivingl-y eonnected'with a similar sheave or grooved pulley 32 secured to the front cross sha'ft 15, by meansof a' d'riving cable or belt 23. V p

machine is preferably provided with suitable: guard plates surroundingthe worm gearing and has a guard plate" 30 m: advance ofthe pressing -device 5, inorder to protect the operator. The retainer guide22-which is i st'ationarily suspended from the main frame 17 prevents the fritters from dropping from the pockets 4 as they are inverted, until the discharging device'18 has been reached; -A water-box 14: secured to the rotor or device 5 is secured to a horizonfront of the machine facilitates moistening of the hands of the operator. The entlre framestruc'ture is preferably nickel plated or enameled in order to facilitate keeping the machine in sanitary condition as well as to give, the device which is ordinarily installed in a public place, a highly attractive appearance.

The machine may be readily placed in operation by manipulation of the motor controlling switch to start the motor 13. The rotation of the motor shaft is transmitted through the sheave 12, belt 11 and sheave 7 to the vertical drive shaft 9 and Worm 8. As

the worm-8 revolves, it rotates the wvorm wheel 6,: horizontal cross-shaft T10 and the pressing device 5 in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow. The revolving plungers of the pressing device 5 approach the successive pockets 1 and enter the tapered openings of these pockets. As the leading edges of the plungers of the pressing device 5 engage the walls of the pocket openings they advance the series of pockets 1 and cause the front and rear sprockets 2 1, 25 to rotate. The pressing device 5 thus serves as a cog-wheel for driving the endless series of pockets 4:, as well as performing the function of pressing the contents of these pockets.

The rotary motion of the front sprocket 2 1 is transmitted through the horizontal cross-shaft 15 to the grooved pulley 32 from which the motion is transmitted through the belt 23 pulley 33, cross-shaft 26 and driving pulley 27 to the belt conveyer 20, causing the upper flightof the conveyer to move toward the left as viewed in the drawing. Theadvancing pockets t are inverted as they pass. around the front sprocket 24: after which they approach and successively engage the plungers of the discharging device 18.1 The plungers of this device 18 enter the successive pockets 4: and engage the side walls thereof, the discharging device being thus continuously rotated by the pockets.

Themixture of pop corn and molasses from which the fritters are commonly formed, is admitted to the mixing and formmg table 3 from the tank 2 over the inclined plate 34. From the mixing table 3 the operator pushes or slides batches of the mixture into the successive pockets 4: as they rest upon and slide-over the plate 29. The pockets dare thusfilled to substantiallyztheir preaching inverted filled pockets at and force the finished fritters therefrom. The discharged fritters gradually drop upon and slide along the guide 21 from which they are delivered upon the conveyer 20 and discharged from the machine. The finished cakes or fritters are then arranged in stacks of five or more and are packed in cartons or in wax-paper when they are ready for sale.

The speed of operation of the machine is such that the manual filling of the pockets i is readily efi'ected. The worm gearing and belt drives eliminate noises which would be undesirable in places where such machines are ordinarily installed. The revolving pressing device 5 provides an efiective means for simultaneously compressing the fritters and imparting motion to the remainder of the moving mechanism. The transmission of this motion is also exceedingly noiseless since the pressing plungers gradually approach, engage and leave the pockets l without creating shocks or jarring the poclc ets. The transmission of motion from the pockets at to the discharging device 18 is likewise exceedingly silent thus producing a complete mechanism of simple construction, high efficiency and silent operation.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction herein shown and clescribed for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Fatent 1. In a fritter forming machine, a series of pockets having frusto-conic-al downwardly tapered openings, a series of plungers coiiperable directly with said pocket openings to move said pockets and to coinress material, means for inverting said pockets, and a series of ejectors cooperable with said pocket openings to expel material from said pockets while inverted, said ejec tors being movable by said pockets.

2. In a fritter forming machine, a series of pockets having frusto-conical downwardly tapered openings, a series of plungers coeperable directly with the leading ends of said pocket openings to move said pockets and to compress material, means for inverting said pockets, and a series of ejectors movable through cooperation directly with the trailing ends of said pocket openings to expel material from said pockets while inverted.

3. In a fritter forming machine, a source of power, a series of plungers, worm gearing drivingly connecting said source and said plungers to move the latter, and a series of pockets having frusto-conical downwardly tapering openings, said plunge s being cooperable directly with said pocket openings to move said pockets and to compress material therein.

4. In a fritter forming machine, a source of power, a series of plungers, worm gearing drivingly connecting said source and said plungers to move the latter, a series of pockets having frusto-conical downwardly tapering openings, said plungers being cooperable directly with the leading ends of said pocket openings to move said pockets and to compress material therein, means for inverting said pockets, and a series of ejectors movable through cooperation directly with the trailing ends of said pocket openings to expel material from said pockets while inverted.

5. In a fritter forming machine, a series of pockets having frusto-conical downwardly tapered openings, a series of plungers cooperable directly with said pocket openings to move said pockets and t compress material, means for inverting said pockets, a series of ejectors cooperable with said pocket openings to expel material from said pockets while inverted, and a conveyer movable by said inverting means, said ejector being movable by said pockets at a slower speed than said conveyer.

In testimony whereof, the signature ot the inventor is affixed hereto.

GEORGE F. LAURENCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

